Sunjay Chawla

For the Love of the Game

Sunjay Chawla knows that he has been blessed. Thanks to his parents’ hard work, he’s been afforded opportunities to excel both athletically and academically. He shows his appreciation by succeeding in abundance; maintaining a positive attitude about every challenge he faces in school and on the tennis court, soccer field, or golf course; and by doing all that he can to ensure others around him have the chance to shine.

By mastering the art of positive thinking, Sunjay rose above the challenge of competing against older opponents in tennis. He became a four-time Academy AAAA Division II defending state champion in tennis singles while serving as captain of a team that won three straight state championships. He holds a record for number of goals scored on state champions soccer teams, and he placed third at the state championship in high school golf. Sunjay will graduate at the head of his class with a 4.9 GPA. He holds leadership roles in the various school and community organizations in which he participates.

While personal success is sweet, Sunjay has found that helping others is even more rewarding. Scoring a 34 on his own ACT, Sunjay created the Chawla ACT Institute at Greenwood High School to provide tutoring and study manuals for underprivileged youth to prepare for the testing. He’s also committed to helping young people succeed in athletics. Knowing that not everyone can attend pricy tennis camps and afford private lessons, he chose to build a tennis wall as his Eagle Scout project. The wall provides beginners with a place to hit tennis balls for free and learn the basics of the sport. Sunjay then helped spearhead the Love Tennis Club for Beginners, and he has volunteered more than 100 hours of his time to provide free lessons to youth. This, he says, has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of his life. “I hope one day that a student from the club wins a state championship. That would make me most proud!”